Written Answers Thursday 9 August 2007

Scottish Executive

Carers

Stefan Tymkewycz (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many educational establishments offer approved childcare-related training courses to SVQ level.

Adam Ingram: In relation to the providers of SVQs, this is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority. Information in relation to the numbers of SVQ providers and providers of other childcare-related training courses is not held centrally.

Carers

Stefan Tymkewycz (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether appropriate qualifications and experience are accredited as acceptable to the Scottish Social Services Council where a carer does not have the requisite SVQ.

Adam Ingram: The qualifications acceptable by the Scottish Social Services Council for those groups of workers who are required to register are not limited to SVQs. A wide and varied range of qualifications are acceptable for registration purposes.

  Work experience and prior learning can be used as evidence of competency when working towards an SVQ. The SSSC is currently looking at the development of a tool which will support workers to have on the job learning count towards a qualification.

Carers

Stefan Tymkewycz (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment is made of new providers seeking to offer training to carers up to SVQ level.

Adam Ingram: The assessment and approval of new providers seeking to offer SVQs is an operational matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority. There is a wide variety of other training which may be available to carers. The level and criteria of assessment made of new providers of such training are matters for the appropriate standards or awarding body where they exist.

Children and Young People

Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children adversely affected by drug misuse have been identified (a) across Scotland and (b) in each (i) local authority and (ii) police force area.

Adam Ingram: Information on children affected by drug misuse by local authority and police force area is not held centrally. The most recent estimate for Scotland is that up to 60,000 children under 16 have a parent with a drug problem. Of these, it is estimated that between 10,000 and 20,000 live with a drug using parent. These figures are calculated using a method which combines three sources: NHS National Services Scotland Information and Statistics Division (ISD) data, National Prevalence Study figures (Hay et al) and the Drug Outcome Research in Scotland study.

Children and Young People

Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that all children adversely affected by drug misuse have now been identified.

Adam Ingram: In March 2006, the then Ministers for Justice, Health and Education wrote to Chief Officers in Scotland seeking assurances that systems were in place to ensure children affected by drug misuse could be consistently identified and information on the extent to which the needs of children adversely affected by drug misuse had been assessed and met. While all respondents provided assurances that they were working effectively to protect vulnerable children, detailed evidence was not consistent or systematic. The Scottish government is assessing how to develop the agenda further to ensure that the needs of all children adversely affected by drug misuse are identified and met.

Children and Young People

Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the letters sent by Scottish ministers in March and May 2006 to local authorities seeking assurances that all children adversely affected by drugs misuse had been identified.

Adam Ingram: The letters written by Scottish Ministers in March 2006 and by officials in May 2006 seeking assurances about the position of children in Scotland affected by parental drug misuse will be placed on the Scottish Executive website on Monday 13 August 2007 in the child protection pages: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/Young-People/children-families/17834 .

Children and Young People

Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish local authorities’ responses to the letters received from Scottish ministers in March and May 2006 seeking assurances that all children adversely affected by drugs misuse had been identified.

Adam Ingram: The responses will be placed on the Scottish Executive website on Monday 13 August 2007 in the child protection pages: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/Young-People/children-families/17834 .

Children and Young People

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been committed in the 2007-10 funding round from the Children, Young People and Families Unified Voluntary Sector Fund.

Adam Ingram: A total of £21,661,280 has been committed over the period 2007-10, subject to outcomes from the spending review and parliamentary approval of budgets for 2008-09 and 2009-10.

Children and Young People

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the decision of the previous administration to not allow new applications to the Children, Young People and Families Unified Voluntary Sector Fund.

Adam Ingram: All the resources currently available from the Fund for 2007-10 have been allocated to voluntary organisations, subject to outcomes from the Spending Review and Parliamentary approval of budgets for 2008-09 and 2009-10. We have no plans, at the present time, to review the decision to restrict applications to the Fund for 2007-10 to existing beneficiaries.

Children and Young People

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications to the Children, Young People and Families Unified Voluntary Sector Fund have been refused.

Adam Ingram: The funding round for the period 2007-10 was restricted to renewal applications from existing beneficiaries, all of which were approved. We notified 69 other organisations who had expressed an interest in applying for funding for 2007-10 that the fund would not be open to new applications due to a restricted resource position.

Class Sizes

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school classes had 25 or more pupils in each of the last four years, broken down by local authority area.

Maureen Watt: The number of primary school classes with 25 or more pupils is shown in the following table. Information for secondary schools is not collected.

  

Local Authority
2003
2004
2005
2006


Aberdeen City
282
257
258
229


Aberdeenshire
359
370
340
322


Angus
199
197
200
189


Argyll and Bute
102
98
86
75


Clackmannanshire
111
99
89
88


Dumfries and Galloway
216
207
180
161


Dundee City
252
254
251
259


East Ayrshire
218
202
198
194


East Dunbartonshire
232
226
207
198


East Lothian
188
192
168
151


East Renfrewshire
240
231
223
210


Edinburgh, City of
571
573
582
561


Eilean Siar
7
5
5
4


Falkirk
312
299
286
258


Fife
562
571
539
550


Glasgow City
797
777
755
792


Highland
263
239
252
249


Inverclyde
122
133
136
123


Midlothian
129
132
126
119


Moray
153
148
149
124


North Ayrshire
275
279
256
245


North Lanarkshire
574
578
549
531


Orkney Islands
18
15
14
14


Perth and Kinross
203
191
194
183


Renfrewshire
346
327
320
303


Scottish Borders
138
139
125
131


Shetland Islands
9
4
5
4


South Ayrshire
201
194
181
177


South Lanarkshire
535
574
548
536


Stirling
140
139
146
136


West Dunbartonshire
164
158
143
124


West Lothian
329
346
340
344



  Total Number of Classes

  

 
2003
2004
2005
2006


Aberdeen City
559
547
535
520


Aberdeenshire
900
885
872
870


Angus
385
378
374
370


Argyll and Bute
348
348
349
331


Clackmannanshire
164
160
162
161


Dumfries and Galloway
515
507
506
491


Dundee City
417
399
390
383


East Ayrshire
405
402
389
385


East Dunbartonshire
385
373
363
356


East Lothian
328
309
312
319


East Renfrewshire
320
332
329
325


Edinburgh City
1,092
1,051
1,034
1,018


Eilean Siar
155
155
156
141


Falkirk
470
463
470
459


Fife
1,208
1,172
1,169
1,136


Glasgow City
1,738
1,691
1,651
1,582


Highland
858
840
839
834


Inverclyde
283
264
259
252


Midlothian
287
279
279
275


Moray
341
320
312
309


North Ayrshire
461
447
439
429


North Lanarkshire
1,162
1,157
1,161
1,145


Orkney Islands
87
90
90
89


Perth and Kinross
453
458
455
448


Renfrewshire
562
552
551
549


Scottish Borders
396
385
383
380


Shetland Islands
117
120
113
116


South Ayrshire
355
350
343
337


South Lanarkshire
1,105
1,039
1,026
1,000


Stirling
298
294
292
293


West Dunbartonshire
320
309
306
297


West Lothian
603
591
591
591

Class Sizes

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive in how many schools and in what areas it will implement its policy of having 18 pupils or fewer in P1 to P3 classes.

Adam Ingram: We intend to implement our policy to reduce P1-P3 classes across Scotland and will work with local education authorities to deliver the policy.

Class Sizes

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive in what timeframe it will implement its policy of having 18 pupils or fewer in P1 to P3 classes.

Adam Ingram: The Scottish Executive will be working with Education Authorities and Universities delivering initial teacher training to ensure we can drive down class sizes in a managed and staged way which maintains teacher quality, recognises classroom pressures and continuity of class configurations which will deliver practical progress to classes of 18 in P1-P3. These factors together with the Spending Review will drive the timeframe for delivery, by making year on year progress towards our target.

  This approach has been recognised by teaching professionals as the best way to delivering our policy of class sizes of 18 in P1-P3 across Scotland.

Class Sizes

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional teachers will be required to implement its policy of having 18 pupils or fewer in P1 to P3 classes.

Adam Ingram: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-1362 on 10 July 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Class Sizes

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) P1, (b) P2 and (c) P3 classes in Angus had more than 18 pupils in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Adam Ingram: Information on individual class sizes from the 2006 pupil census is published on the internet and can be found at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/16412/PrimClassSizesSep06 .

Class Sizes

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the number of additional teachers required in Angus to implement fully its commitment to reduce class sizes to 18 and below in P1, P2 and P3.

Adam Ingram: We are considering initially in detail the numbers of teachers needed in order to reduce all P1 to P3 classes to 18 or less and allow all pre-school children access to a teacher at a national level. Estimates of the numbers required in individual authorities are not available. We have announced the first steps in delivering our commitments, with funding for the employment of an additional 300 teachers and the increase of 250 training places from this August.

  We will be announcing further steps in due course, to a timetable that ensures that we can protect the quality of the teachers entering the profession and takes into account the capacity of the system to provide training places. Clearly, the most important issue is to ensure the best possible educational outcomes for our children.

Class Sizes

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the timetable is for full implementation in Angus of the commitment to reduce class sizes to 18 and below in P1, P2 and P3.

Adam Ingram: The Scottish Executive will be working with Angus Council and Universities delivering initial teacher training to ensure we can drive down class sizes in a managed and staged way which maintains teacher quality, recognises classroom pressures and continuity of class configurations which will deliver practical progress to classes of 18 in P1-P3. These factors together with the Spending Review will drive the timeframe for delivery, by making year on year progress towards our target.

  This approach has been recognised by teaching professionals as the best way to delivering our policy of class sizes of 18 in P1-P3 across Scotland.

Education

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the costs would be of increasing the provision of free nursery education for three and four-year-olds by 50%.

Adam Ingram: We have recently announced additional funding of £21.75 million per year to local authorities to pay for the increase in pre-school education provision to 475 hours per year.

  The funding for future expansion of pre-school education will be considered as part of the spending review.

Education

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will implement its policy of a 50% increase in the provision of free nursery education for three and four-year-olds.

Mr Adam Ingram: On 20 June 2007 the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning announced that the provision of free pre-school education will increase to 475 hours per year from August 2007.

  Future increases will be announced in due course and will be dependent on the outcome of the spending review.

Education

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Dundee City and Angus councils will receive any additional funding for pre-school education from August 2007 in respect of the provision of additional hours.

Adam Ingram: All local authorities have been informed of the additional funding they will receive for pre-school education following the announcement of the expansion of hours to 475 per year. The additional funding that will be made available to Dundee City Council and Angus Council is as follows:

  

£000
2007-08
2008-09


Angus Council
309
463


Dundee City Council
384
576



  The funding for 2007-08 has been confirmed but for 2008-09 the figures are indicative as the total amount of the 2008-09 local government finance settlement and its distribution will depend on the outcome of the 2007 strategic spending review.

Education

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many claims for compensation were made by (a) pupils, (b) staff and (c) others against local authorities for incidents occurring in schools in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by local authority.

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many payments were made in respect of claims for compensation by (a) pupils, (b) staff and (c) others against local authorities for incidents occurring in schools in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by local authority.

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what total amount of compensation was sought in claims by (a) pupils, (b) staff and (c) others against local authorities for incidents occurring in schools in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by local authority.

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what total amount of compensation was paid in respect of claims by (a) pupils, (b) staff and (c) others against local authorities for incidents occurring in schools in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by local authority.

Maureen Watt: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Education

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that biometric systems are necessary for the exercise by education authorities of their functions under the provisions of section 8 of the Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act 2007 or for the exercise of any other functions.

Adam Ingram: The Scottish Executive does not consider the use of biometric systems by education authorities to be necessary. Section 8 of the Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act 2007 will require education authorities to take reasonable steps to protect the identity of pupils receiving free school lunches. This can be achieved in a number of ways and it is up to local authorities and schools to determine the best system locally. If an authority decides to use biometric systems in its schools then we would expect them to follow best practice when it comes to data protection and to consult parents.

Fatal Accident Inquiries

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce a statutory requirement to hold fatal accident inquiries following fatal road traffic incidents.

Kenny MacAskill: There are no plans to introduce a statutory requirement to hold fatal accident inquiries following all fatal road traffic accidents.

  One of the key functions of a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) is to address serious issues of general public concern that arise from a death. Steps can then be taken to prevent any recurrence, drawing on the recommendations of the sheriff presiding over the fatal accident inquiry. In many cases, however, the investigation of a death in a fatal traffic accident by the police and the Procurator Fiscal will be sufficient in itself to ascertain all the circumstances surrounding the death. Evidence as to the circumstances of the death may also be examined during the course of criminal proceedings. Where the precautions which might have been taken to prevent the accident happening are confined to a particular set of circumstances and do not raise any wider issues of public concern, there would be little point in holding a public inquiry which may cause further distress to the bereaved family.

  On the other hand, a fatal accident inquiry may be instructed where there are concerns that, for example, the road layout or signage contributed to the accident causing the death. The sheriff may then make recommendations which may be acted on to prevent further accidents. But if the accident resulted from a momentary lapse of concentration on the part of a driver, it is difficult to see what wider lessons may be learned from a public inquiry.

  The flexibility of the present law – which provides for an FAI to be held where the circumstances warrant it – is invaluable and it is not considered to be necessary or desirable to hold an inquiry following all fatal road traffic accidents.

Housing

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest position is in respect of council housing stock transfer.

Stewart Maxwell: As I announced in the Housing Debate on 21 June 2007, the Scottish Government will consult in the autumn on its proposals for social housing. This will include the role that council housing stock transfer might play in developing a social rented sector that is affordable and is focussed on meeting the requirements of existing tenants and those in housing need.

Housing

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what local authority housing waiting lists have been in each local authority area in each year since 1980.

Stewart Maxwell: The numbers on local authority housing lists at March of each year are shown as follows. Data is not available prior to March 2001.

  Table 1: Applicants on Housing List at 31 March by Local Authority: 2001-2006

  

Local Authority
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006


Aberdeen City
8,971
7,247
9,636
12,195
12,315
12,178


Aberdeenshire
4,929
3,637
4,112
4,404
5,246
5,067


Angus
5,191
3,241
3,259
3,183
4,113
5,203


Argyll and Bute
1,594
2,060
2,623
2,891
3,952
3,994


Clackmannanshire
2,603
2,514
2,867
1,779
2,118
2,536


Dumfries and Galloway
4,750
4,415
4,505
na
na
na


Dundee City
4,871
3,376
5,271
5,865
6,487
8,321


East Ayrshire
2,843
4,081
4,667
4,761
4,913
8,321


East Dunbartonshire
4,451
3,466
3,793
4,216
5,051
3,859


East Lothian
4,138
5,371
5,549
5,520
6,098
6,479


East Renfrewshire
2,777
1,846
2,292
2,637
2,625
2,239


Edinburgh, City of
19,512
20,733
20,733
22,624
23,304
23,623


Eilean Siar
680
621
717
743
895
924


Falkirk
10,768
11,138
10,057
11,223
7,094
9,856


Fife
19,026
19,982
10,340
13,654
11,424
15,511


Glasgow City
30,297
34,209
na
na
na
na


Highland
7,530
8,351
8,652
9,663
5,343
10,809


Inverclyde
8,482
5,409
5,400
4,382
3,592
5,567


Midlothian
2,191
2,095
2,550
2,536
3,558
2,465


Moray
1,676
2,339
2,346
2,550
2,768
3,143


North Ayrshire
 
6,870
6,474
5,945
5,747
5,250


North Lanarkshire
12,664
14,013
12,148
16,576
19,220
21,304


Orkney
331
428
333
591
495
711


Perth and Kinross
 
4,393
5,639
4,739
4,439
5,546


Renfrewshire
11,046
9,211
10,010
9,015
9,892
8,095


Scottish Borders
2,485
2,488
2,488
na
na
na


Shetland
513
440
513
692
782
1,155


South Ayrshire
5,993
5,480
4,306
3,206
3,245
4,486


South Lanarkshire
20,544
21,464
20,099
16,099
16,423
16,598


Stirling
2,716
2,873
3,512
4,807
4,526
3,598


West Dunbartonshire
6,835
6,520
5,326
6,032
6,008
6,799


West Lothian
9,430
8,176
8,818
9,364
9,256
9,102


Total
210,407
220,311
180,217
202,530
181,673
203,637



  Source: Housing Lists returns submitted by local authorities to the Scottish Executive.

  Notes:

  1. The data include both those applying for their first council tenancy (waiting list) and those who are applying to move from one council property to another (transfer list).

  2. In 2003, Dumfries and Galloway, Glasgow and Scottish Borders councils transferred their housing stock to housing association ownership.

  3. Households may be on the waiting list of more than one local authority or housing association, leading to double counting. This double (or more) counting particularly occurs among landlords that are not part of a common housing register.

  4. The frequency with which local authorities review their housing lists varies between councils, and care should be taken when interpreting year on year changes.

Housing

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what housing association waiting lists have been in each local authority area each year since 1980.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Information about the number of applicants on housing association waiting lists is collected by housing association and not by local authority area. The figures for each local authority area shown in the following table are, therefore, indicative only, as a number of housing associations operate over more than one area. The figures from housing associations operating in more than one local authority area are shown separately. In addition, many applicants are on the waiting list of more than one housing association, leading to double counting. The frequency with which housing associations review their housing lists varies and care should be taken when interpreting year on year changes.

  Figures are not available prior to 2001-02.

  

Local Authority
2006-07
2005-06
2004-05
2003-04
2002-03
2001-02


Scotland
267,100
301,127
237,142
177,659
120,583
91,158


Aberdeen City
7
8
13
0
8
10


Aberdeenshire
8
5
10
13
555
683


Argyll and Bute
2,486
1,889
2,189
1,711
1,646
1,156


City of Edinburgh
22,619
22,175
209
3,943
4,174
3,390


City of Glasgow
61,915
73,823
68,697
70,270
19,460
15,060


Dumfries and Galloway
7,584
7,063
8,061
6,803
2,300
1,400


Dundee City
93
106
90
101
143
193


East Ayrshire
1,302
1,095
1,389
861
694
299


East Dunbartonshire
444
651
344
0
0
0


East Lothian
6,156
2,411
1,468
860
705
433


East Renfrewshire
270
217
204
221
210
237


Fife
974
2,112
1,787
1,564
1,246
973


Highland
741
563
544
488
444
497


Inverclyde
5,286
6,006
5,094
3,192
2,627
632


Moray
489
394
330
927
539
386


North Lanarkshire
3,465
3,934
2,840
3,033
3,018
2,047


Orkney Islands
647
575
481
485
300
257


Perth and Kinross
340
281
273
200
4,224
4,545


Renfrewshire
9,074
10,310
8,963
6,056
3,663
2,455


Scottish Borders
7,504
7,251
7,064
6,082
3,120
1,550


Shetland Islands
718
583
402
311
275
237


South Ayrshire
31
35
34
36
3,015
1,655


South Lanarkshire
2,331
2,243
2,419
2,085
1,437
853


Stirling
1,521
1,765
1,605
1,802
1,548
1,277


West Dunbartonshire
2,693
2,671
2,764
2,405
2,034
1,557


West Lothian
1,604
1,523
1,979
1,682
996
583


Western Isles
1,115
493
362
301
259
751


Housing associations operating in more than one local authority
125,683
150,945
117,527
62,227
61,943
48,042



  Source: Annual Performance and Statistical Return by registered social landlords to Communities Scotland Regulation and Inspection Division.

  Notes:

  1 Local authority figures are indicative only as a number of housing associations (registered social landlords) operate over more than one local authority area. Figures from these organisations cannot be broken down by local authority.

  2 The increase in waiting lists in 2003-04 for Dumfries and Galloway, Glasgow and Scottish Borders is due to the transfer of council housing stock to housing associations.

  3 There is no information available for Angus, Clackmannanshire, Falkirk, Midlothian or North Ayrshire as no one housing association operates solely in these local authority areas.

Housing

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of local authority and registered social landlord vacancies in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06 were offered to households presenting as homeless under section 5 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, broken down by local authority area.

Stewart Maxwell: Table 1 shows the percentage of permanent lets by local authorities to homeless households for 2004-05. Figures for 2005-06 can be found in the Scottish Government Statistical Bulletin (Housing Series)  Housing trends in Scotland: quarters ending 31 March 2006  (HSG/2006/5, Table 26) . This is available on-line in the publications section of the housing statistics branch reference site: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/PubHousingTrend .

  The number of permanent lettings during a period tends to be lower than the number of dwellings falling vacant, and therefore, to provide a more meaningful comparison, lets to homeless households are presented as a proportion of all permanent lets.

  Percentage of lets by registered social landlords to homeless households referred under section 5 are shown in Table 2.

  Table 1 Permanent Lets to Homeless Households by Local Authority: 2004-05

  

 
Total permanent lets
Lets to homeless households
Lets to homeless as % of all lets


Scotland
33,872
9,454
28


Aberdeen City
2,650
266
10


Aberdeenshire
1,246
271
22


Angus
882
325
37


Argyll and Bute
523
202
39


Clackmannanshire
442
197
45


Dumfries and Galloway
na
na
na


Dundee City
1,886
167
9


East Ayrshire
1,487
222
15


East Dunbartonshire
314
124
39


East Lothian
461
143
31


East Renfrewshire
250
87
35


City of Edinburgh
3,397
1,088
32


Eilean Siar
132
47
36


Falkirk
1,359
489
36


Fife
3,117
695
22


Glasgow City
na
na
na


Highland
1,364
415
30


Inverclyde
759
207
27


Midlothian
242
131
54


Moray
373
176
47


North Ayrshire
1,165
489
42


North Lanarkshire
3,680
1,356
37


Orkney
62
17
27


Perth and Kinross
610
322
53


Renfrewshire
1,489
279
19


Scottish Borders
na
na
na


Shetland
199
28
14


South Ayrshire
829
239
29


South Lanarkshire
2,492
482
19


Stirling
460
136
30


West Dunbartonshire 
1,123
428
38


West Lothian
879
426
48



  Source: Lettings returns by local authorities to Scottish Executive Communities Analytical Services Division (Housing Statistics).

  Notes:

  1. Following housing stock transfers, figures for Dumfries and Galloway, Glasgow and Scottish Borders are not included.

  2. Figures for total number of lets include households moving into the public rented sector (new lets) as well as those transferring from one council property to another.

  Table 2 Permanent Lets by Registered Social Landlords to Homeless Households Recorded as Section 5 Referrals: 2004-05 and 2005-06

  

Scotland
2004-05
2005-06


All lets
Permanent lets to homeless households
Lets to homeless as % of all lets
All lets
Permanent lets to homeless households
Lets to homeless as % of  all lets


29,299
3,659
12
28,346
3,814
13



  Registered Social Landlords Operating in One Local Authority Area

  

Local Authority
All lets
Permanent lets to homeless households
Lets to homeless as % of all lets
All lets
Permanent lets to homeless households
Lets to homeless as % of  all lets


Aberdeen City 
3
0
0
680
69
10


Aberdeenshire 
128
2
2
564
41
7


Angus
 na
na
na
468
25
5


Argyll and Bute 
221
11
5
375
21
6


Clackmannanshire
na 
na
na
212
8
4


Dumfries and Galloway 
1,271
431
34
1,225
426
35


Dundee City 
12
0
0
1,114
18
2


East Ayrshire 
210
24
11
346
27
8


East Dunbartonshire
44
0
0
153
0
0


East Lothian 
112
0
0
203
22
11


East Renfrewshire 
118
2
2
183
15
8


City of Edinburgh 
680
80
12
1,746
142
8


Eilean Siar 
40
6
15
69
11
16


Falkirk
 na
na
na
363
32
9


Fife 
274
12
4
987
27
3


Glasgow City
10,490
1,997
19
11,724
2,247
19


Highland 
167
15
9
676
93
14


Inverclyde 
341
30
9
441
30
7


Midlothian
 na
na
na
224
34
15


Moray 
40
4
10
271
23
8


North Ayrshire 
72
10
14
408
46
11


North Lanarkshire 
434
43
10
848
102
12


Orkney
95
2
2
48
4
8


Perth and Kinross 
214
45
21
401
66
16


Renfrewshire 
866
27
3
1,089
52
5


Scottish Borders 
1,354
244
18
1,281
19
1


Shetland
62
2
3
49
5
10


South Ayrshire 
206
20
10
200
14
7


South Lanarkshire 
318
11
3
538
23
4


Stirling 
149
0
0
208
7
3


West Dunbartonshire 
535
106
20
542
100
18


West Lothian 
336
41
12
710
65
9



  Registered Social Landlords Operating in More than one Local Authority Area

  

All lets
Permanent lets to homeless households
Lets to homeless as % of all lets


10,507
494
5



  Source: Annual Performance and Statistical Return by registered social landlords to Communities Scotland Regulation and Inspection Division.

  Note: Some registered social landlords operate over more than one local authority area, and figures from these organisations cannot be broken down by local authority prior to 2005-06.

Housing

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of households presenting as homeless under section 5 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 were offered a secure tenancy by the local authority or registered social landlord in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06 operating in that authority’s area, broken down by local authority area.

Stewart Maxwell: The information requested has been presented in a table showing the percentage of homeless applications, and those assessed as being unintentionally homeless in priority need (for whom a local authority has a duty to secure permanent accommodation), in each local authority for 2004-05 and 2005-06 which resulted in an offer of local authority or registered social landlord accommodation. Due to the size of the table, this has been deposited in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 43314).

Housing

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action can be taken by tenants against (a) private sector and (b) registered social landlords that fail to take action to control the antisocial behaviour of other tenants.

Mr Stewart Maxwell: (a) Neighbours who are affected by antisocial behaviour by tenants of privately rented housing should contact their local authority, who can take action against the individual or, if necessary, against the landlord as described in the answer to question S3W-2404 on 9 August 2007.

  (b) Tenants of registered social landlords (RSLs) have no legal basis for taking action against their landlord for failing to control the antisocial behaviour of other tenants. A complaint to the Public Services Ombudsman would be the most appropriate course of action if tenants felt their RSL was failing in its duties.RSLs are regulated by Communities Scotland within a framework set by nationally agreed performance standards, including standards relating to the management of antisocial behaviour. An RSL’s performance against these standards, and its responsiveness to its tenants, may form part of an inspection by the regulator.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Housing

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action can be taken by local authorities against (a) private sector and (b) registered social landlords that fail to take action to control the antisocial behaviour of their tenants.

Mr Stewart Maxwell: (a) If a private landlord fails to take action to control the antisocial behaviour of tenants, despite advice, the local authority may serve an Antisocial Behaviour Notice, specifying actions the landlord is required to take to address the situation. Failure to comply with the notice is a criminal offence and may result in a fine, suspension of rent, or the local authority taking over management of the property. Failure to address antisocial behaviour is also a factor that local authorities must have regard to in considering whether a landlord is a fit and proper person to be entered on their register of private landlords. It is a criminal offence for a private landlord to let out property if their application for registration is rejected by their local authority.

  (b) Local authorities have no jurisdiction to take action against registered social landlords (RSLs) regarding the antisocial behaviour of their tenants. Local authorities work with RSLs and other agencies to develop and implement local antisocial behaviour strategies. RSLs are regulated by Communities Scotland within a framework set by nationally agreed performance standards, including standards relating to the management of antisocial behaviour. A RSL’s performance against these standards, and its responsiveness to its tenants, may form part of an inspection by the regulator.

Housing

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any Scottish or UK legislation prevents the exchange of tenancies for properties owned by local authorities or registered social landlords where one property is in Scotland and the other in England.

Stewart Maxwell: No. Exchange can take place provided both landlords have given their consent.

Housing

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has carried out into future housing need broken down by local authority area.

Stewart Maxwell: A major piece of research on housing need was conducted for the Scottish Government by Professor Glen Bramley and published in November 2006. This contains analysis of housing need by local authority area. Further information can be found at: http://www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk/stellent/groups/public/documents/webpages/cs_016551.pdf .

  The Government is currently conducting an exercise which is seeking to gain a consistent picture from local authorities of their own assessment of the main factors affecting estimates of affordable housing need for their areas, and the evidence which supports this.

Housing

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many households on local authority waiting lists have been waiting for (a) six, (b) 12, (c) 18, (d) 24, (e) 30 and (f) 36 months and how many have been waiting for more than 36 months, broken down by local authority area.

Stewart Maxwell: The requested information is not held centrally. The information on housing lists collected by the Scottish Government is published on an annual basis in the Scottish Executive Statistical Bulletin (Housing Series)  Housing trends in Scotland: quarter ending 31 March. This is available on-line in the publications section of the housing statistics branch reference site: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/PubHousingTrend .

Housing

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the amount of time each household spends in temporary accommodation in each local authority area.

Stewart Maxwell: The information requested is not held centrally.

Housing

Nicol Stephen (Aberdeen South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will introduce a first home grant.

Stewart Maxwell: We are committed to helping more individuals and families who struggle to afford a first home of their own and we are considering further measures to achieve this. In addition to development of the Scottish Housing Support Fund for shared equity provision announced on 21 June 2007, we are also considering grants to first-time buyers. The timing of such measures will be informed by the outcome of the current spending review and subsequent discussions with private sector investors.

Housing

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have been identified as being in danger of not meeting the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by 2015.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to assist local authorities that have been identified as being in danger of not meeting the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by 2015.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Communities Scotland has received Standard Delivery Plans (SDPs) from almost all local authorities required to do so, setting out how they will achieve the Scottish Housing Quality Standard. Analysis of these Plans shows that there are varying degrees of risk attached to the assumptions underpinning each plan, but that these local authorities believe the risks are manageable. It is for local authorities to manage these risks and to determine how best to fund the investment required to meet the standard. Communities Scotland will continue to provide local authorities with feedback on the assessment of their plans and progress in meeting the Scottish Housing Quality Standards.

  Communities Scotland is working with those local authorities that have yet to submit SDPs on developing their plans. The authorities are Stirling, Renfrewshire, Highland and Edinburgh (whose tenants voted against stock transfer) and West Dunbartonshire, where an application to pursue stock transfer was rejected by the previous administration in December 2006.

Housing

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will improve the profile of spending on social housing.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government's spending plans for the period 2008-11, which will enable us to fulfil our purpose and achieve our strategic objectives, will be announced in late autumn, when the strategic spending review is concluded.

Housing

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will protect the right-to-buy for tenants who already have this right.

Stewart Maxwell: We recognise the importance of protecting the existing rights of tenants to buy their homes but also wish to ensure that the Right to Buy is responsive to local needs. We intend to examine how to achieve a comfortable balance between the opportunities for homeownership and the pressure that exists in some localities on affordable housing.

Housing

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering allowing local authorities to designate socially-rented houses in the public sector as key workers’ houses.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government is committed to improving housing supply and helping to meet housing need regardless of occupation. We have no plans to allow local authorities to designate particular properties in their areas for rent solely to those in particular occupations. However, under existing legislation local authorities and Registered Social Landlords already have discretion to reflect employment status in their allocation policies if desired.

Justice

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the current proposals in respect of the abolition of non-bench serving Justices of the Peace will be subject to review.

Kenny MacAskill: The Criminal Proceedings etc. (Reform) (Scotland) Act, which includes provisions reforming the system of lay justice, was unanimously passed by the Scottish Parliament in February 2007. The reforms relating to the appointment, recruitment, training and appraisal of lay justices are expected to come into force in December. A key principle underlying the legislative provisions is that people should in future only hold office as a justice of the peace if they sit on the bench in court. The Scottish Government regards that as settled law and policy and has no plans to review it.

Justice

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the current proposals in respect of the abolition of non-bench serving Justices of the Peace will be the subject of detailed monitoring and evaluation, particularly with regard to the practical implications for law enforcement agencies.

Kenny MacAskill: Yes. The changes to lay justice, including their impact on the police, prosecution and courts, will be subject to on-going monitoring and, in due course, independent evaluation to test whether the policy objectives have been achieved and to examine outcomes.

Justice

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many registered police informants were (a) charged with and (b) convicted of criminal offences during the times they were informants in each year since 1999.

Kenny MacAskill: This information is not held centrally.

Justice

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people (a) were arrested in 2006 and (b) have been arrested in 2007 under the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005, broken down by local authority area.

Kenny MacAskill: Statistics on the number of persons arrested are not collected centrally. Statistics on the number of crimes recorded by the police in 2006-7 will be available following the publication of the statistical bulletin Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2006-7  on 4 September 2007.

Justice

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1975 by Kenny MacAskill on 24 July 2007, how many crimes and offences have been omitted from the records of the (a) Scottish Crime Survey and (b) Scottish Crime and Victimisation Survey because they have been committed on a person who has already been a victim of five crimes.

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Crime Survey and Scottish Crime and Victimisation Survey (SCVS) provides an estimate of personal and household crime in Scotland. Analysis of personal and household crime has involved capping repeat victimisation at five repeat instances per victim, similar to the British Crime Survey. We are not aware of similar work (as conducted by CIVITAS) using the Scottish Crime Survey or Scottish Crime and Victimisation Survey data. All data collected in the survey, on the number of incidents in a victimisation series, is included in the publicly available dataset. The next dataset from the most recent SCVS 2006, which covers fieldwork from 2006, is due to be published this autumn on the Economic and Social Data Service website at: http://www.esds.ac.uk/government .

Justice

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to address inconsistencies in sentencing for fatal road traffic offences.

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government wishes to see greater consistency and transparency in the sentencing decisions of our courts across all areas of the criminal law. We plan to hold further consultation and dialogue with key interests, principally the judiciary, on how to achieve these objectives.

Justice

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports proposals to amend the Road Traffic Act 1988 to include causing death by driving without a licence while disqualified or uninsured as a new separate offence.

Kenny MacAskill: We are committed to working with the UK Government to ensure the safety of Scotland’s roads. The new offence, provided by section 21 of the Road Safety Act 2006, of causing death by driving while unlicensed, disqualified or uninsured reflects the fact that drivers who bring a car onto the road illegally put the public at risk. It is entirely proper that those who deliberately flout the law in this manner should be held responsible for any fatal consequences which arise from their decision to drive. The new offence is expected to come into force later this year.

Justice

Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will legislate on judicial appointments.

Kenny MacAskill: The Government will announce its legislative programme in the Autumn.

Legal Aid

John Lamont (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how often legal aid has been (a) applied for and (b) granted in employment tribunals in the last three years.

Kenny MacAskill: Civil legal aid is not available for employment tribunals, but other forms of support are available under the broader scheme of legal aid and assistance.

  Legal assistance in employment matters, by way of oral or written advice or negotiations, can be given under advice and assistance, which is granted by a solicitor not the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB). Applications for sanction to increase expenditure under advice and assistance are considered by SLAB. Advice and assistance in employment matters will include cases in which there is a negotiated settlement without the need to go to an employment tribunal.

  If there is thought to be a need for representation at an employment tribunal, an application for assistance by way of representation (ABWOR) may be made to SLAB. A case may begin as a grant of advice and assistance and move to ABWOR if proceedings are raised.

  Civil legal aid may be may available for proceedings in an employment appeal tribunal.

  Table 1 sets out intimations received by SLAB, in respect of Advice and Assistance for employment matters, and grants and refusals of solicitors’ applications by SLAB for sanction for further expenditure under Advice and Assistance.

  Table 1

  Employment Matters - Advice and Assistance

  

Year
2004-2005
2002-2006
2006-2007 1


Intimations from Solicitors 
2,980 
2,592
2,098


Applications for sanction to increase2
3,340 
2,804
2,483


Grants for sanction to increase2,3
2,375 
1,979
1,880



  Notes:

  1. The figures for 2006-2007 are provisional.

  2. The figures include increase applications and grants for ABWOR. An application for an increase may be a request to move to assistance by way of representation and the data collection does not record this separately.

  3. The figures include applications received in one year but granted in the following year.

  Table 2 sets out applications and grants for Assistance by Way of Representation in relation to Employment Tribunals.

  Table 2

  Employment Tribunals - Assistance By Way of Representation1

  

Year
2003-2004
2004-2005
2005-2006


Applications 
720 
728
781


Grants1
488 
530
543



  Notes:

  1. The 2006-2007 figures are not available.

  2. The figures include applications received in one year but granted in the next year.

  Table 3 sets out applications and grants of civil legal aid for proceedings in Employment Appeal Tribunals.

  Table 3

  Employment Appeal Tribunal - Civil Legal Aid

  

Year
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-20071


Applications 
4
9
10


Grants 
2
6
6



  Note: 1. The figures for 2006-2007 are provisional.

Mental Health

Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive in what proportion of people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder the condition is wholly or partially attributable to service in the armed forces.

Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not centrally held. We continue our discussions with the Ministry of Defence and NHS boards on improving structured care and support for serving and former service personnel whose mental health is assessed to have suffered as a result of their operational deployment.

  Assessment and outpatient services are already in place for those members of the reserved forces demobilised since January 2003. The outpatient services are provided and funded by Defence Medical Services from facilities in Kinloss, Leuchars and Faslane. Inpatient care is also provided and fully funded by NHS boards through normal referral processes, subject to terms on the priority to be attached for treatment for those veterans in receipt of a service related pension.

Mental Health

Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been diagnosed as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder in the most recent year for which statistics are available.

Nicola Sturgeon: Figures for those newly diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Scotland are not available centrally.

  An estimate based on those seen for the condition in general practices participating in Practice Team Information suggests 2,650 patients were seen in Scotland for PTSD in the year ending 31 March 2006, the most recent period for which complete data is available.

  Fifty three patients were discharged from acute hospital inpatient or day care with a diagnosis of PTSD in the same period. One hundred and three patients were discharged from psychiatric inpatient care in the previous year ending 31 March 2005, the latest for which complete data is available.

Police

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much in total has been paid to police informants in each year since 1999.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been paid to police informants in each year since 2000, broken down by police force.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been paid to police informants in respect of information involving political parties each year since 1997, broken down by constabulary.

Kenny MacAskill: It would not be in the public interest to disclose information about covert human intelligence sources.

Police

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many convictions have resulted from information passed to police forces by paid informants, expressed as a percentage of the total number of convictions in each year since 1997.

Mr Kenny MacAskill: This information is not held centrally.

Poverty

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the (a) urban and (b) rural population is classified as living in relative poverty.

Stewart Maxwell: Information on the percentage of the (a) urban and (b) rural population that is classified as living in relative poverty is not available at present. It is planned however to publish this analysis on 21 September 2007 on the Scottish Government Income and Poverty Website at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Social-Welfare/incomepoverty .

  Officials from the Communities Analytical Services Division will notify you when the analysis is available.

Prison Service

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners have escaped or absconded from prison in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by prison, and, of these, how man, remain at large.

The Executive have supplied the following corrected answer:

Kenny MacAskill: The number of absconds and escapes for the period requested can be obtained from the Scottish Prison Service annual reports published at: http://www.sps.gov.uk/default.aspx?documentid=67e156ce-a4c9-49f5-a526-0dab421427f6 .

  The number of prisoners still at large (18) is detailed in the following table.

  

Establishment
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007


Barlinnie
 
 
 
 
1


Open Estate
 
1
3
3
10


Total
0
1
3
3
11

Prison Service

Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to rebuild Peterhead prison and, if so, at what anticipated cost and what the timescale is.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The requirement for prison services in the north-east will be considered as part of the current spending review process. Decisions will be announced later this year.

Prison Service

Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail its consultation plans regarding the future of prison services in north-east Scotland.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The requirement for prison services in the north-east will be considered as part of the current spending review process. Decisions will be announced later this year.

Prison Service

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether training about hepatitis C will be commissioned for all prisons in the Scottish Prison Service.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  The SPS is fully committed to the Hepatitis C Action Plan for Scotland (2006). This includes participating in the national training needs assessment and inclusion in any national commissioned training thereafter.

Public Private Partnerships

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has produced any guidance to local authorities regarding consultation with school communities when designing schools to be built using the public private partnership funding mechanism.

Maureen Watt: The Scottish Executive has produced or sponsored several publications emphasising the critical importance of early consultation with school communities, irrespective of the funding mechanism for the new school.

  The following publications are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre:

  School Design – Building Our Future: Scotland’s School Estate

  Published in 2003 (Bib. number 29066)

  Option Appraisal – Building Our Future: Scotland’s School Estate

  Published in 2004 (Bib. number 33149)

  Designs On My Learning – A guide to involving young people in school design

  Published in 2005 (Bib. number 43299)

  Senses of Place – Designing Scotland’s Future Schools 

  Published in 2006 (Bib. number 43300)

  School Design: Optimising the internal environment

  - Building our Future: Scotland’s School Estate

  Published in 2007 (Bib. number 42627)

School Meals

Gil Paterson (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many schools will benefit from the free school meals pilot scheme in each pilot scheme area.

Adam Ingram: The following table sets out the total number of schools that could be involved in the free school meals trial in each of the selected local authorities.

  

Local Authority
Schools


East Ayrshire 
54


Fife 
148


Glasgow City
198


Scottish Borders 
65


West Dunbartonshire 
35

School Meals

Gil Paterson (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many school pupils will benefit from the free school meals pilot scheme in each pilot scheme area.

Adam Ingram: The following table sets out the approximate total number of pupils that could be involved in the free school meals trial in each of the local authorities taking part, though some of these pupils will already be entitled to free school meals.

  

Local Authority
Pupils


East Ayrshire 
3,860


Fife 
11,210


Glasgow City
16,270


Scottish Borders 
3,540


West Dunbartonshire 
2,860

Schools

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many portacabins there are in the school estate.

Maureen Watt: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Schools

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many schools have portacabins in their grounds for use by pupils, broken down by local authority area.

Maureen Watt: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Schools

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many school and business partnerships have been set up under the Determined to Succed initiative in the (a) Dundee, (b) Angus and (c) Aberdeenshire local authority areas.

Maureen Watt: Initial indications from the draft 2006-07 Determined to Succeed Annual Reports received from each local authority, show that the number of school business partnerships in each area are as follows: (a) Dundee - over 500, (b) Angus – over 240 and (c) Aberdeenshire - 492.

Sports Funding

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it will provide to organisers of the World Schools’ Championship Orienteering, to be held in Scotland in 2008.

Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government is not involved directly in the organisation of the World Schools’ Orienteering Championship. This is being organised by the Scottish School Sports Federation (SSF).

  In terms of financial support, sportscotland provide the SSF with £50,000 per year for their Scottish Teacher Release Scheme. This funding supports 312.5 release days which are used to support activity across the following sports: athletics, basketball, gymnastics, badminton, skiing, swimming, orienteering, football, volleyball, handball. and the Scottish School Sports Federation itself. Some of this funding will be used to support this event.

Student Finance

Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total outstanding debt is on student loans to pay the graduate endowment and what the total repayment figure is for such loans.

The Executive have supplied the following corrected answer:

Fiona Hyslop: The combined outstanding debt held as student loans for those students who opted to fully or partly add their liability to their student loan for the three cohorts is £26,306,720.

  The total amount repaid by students to the Student Loans Company (SLC) for graduate endowment loan debt is £57,000.

  This is a correction to the earlier answer to this parliamentary question given by Fiona Hyslop MSP on 17 July 2007. I have written to Ms McKelvie to say that the Students Award Agency for Scotland (SAAS) has apologised for their mistake. My letter has been lodged with the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 43380).

Student Finance

Nicol Stephen (Aberdeen South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has prepared draft legislation to replace the current system of student loans with grants.

Fiona Hyslop: I am currently working with officials to take forward proposals for replacing student loans with means tested grants for Scottish domiciled students. This work includes examining the necessary relevant legislative implications and the need for any new powers. I will announce my plans (which are subject to the outcome of the spending review) in due course.

Student Finance

Nicol Stephen (Aberdeen South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has brought forward detailed proposals to enable it to service the existing loan debt for graduates domiciled in Scotland.

Fiona Hyslop: I am currently working with my officials on the options for implementing our proposal to remove the burden of the debt repayments owed by Scottish domiciled and resident graduates.

Student Finance

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to withdraw the graduate endowment paid by students from Northern Ireland studying at Scottish universities.

Fiona Hyslop: Only Scottish domiciled and non-UK EU students studying in Scotland are liable for the graduate endowment fee. It has never applied to students from England, Wales or Northern Ireland studying in Scotland.